cassettes international

July 2011

By 2Don Campau | 1 July 2011

Sperm Bank 5 “Slave To Momba” ( New Zealand, 1991)
Pumping out punk and socially sarcastic rock, this band was a lot of fun mixing in found sounds and gothy keys as well. Hear Put Another Log On The Fire

Autumn “Movements In The Ivory Tower” ( Germany, Ebu’s Music 1993 )
To me, this was the tape where this German band really found their stride of romantic and lush neo-classical statement. A beautifully realized tape and a shadow of what they were to become. Hear Relief

Eli Talgam “A Less Trouble God by Eli Talgam” ( Israel, Out Of The Blue 1989?)
Bizarre scrapings, kitchen sink style production, childrens vices, sampled classical moments…it’s all there and more on this rare tape from Israel distributed by Lord Litter’s label. Hear an excerpt

Etat Des Stocks “Maximum” ( Belgium, Red Neon 1988?)
Label head Patrick Parent was a well known force with his Etat Des Stocks project in the mid 80s releasing tapes and one offs for other labels. On the selected track here, he loops voices, drones on keyboards and creates a chaotic mix of underground spew. Hear Pousse Au Crime

Echidna Aukstyn “ Paskutine Pozemiu Muzika” ( Lithuania 1989)
Perhaps the main voice in all of Central Europe’s underground at the time was Ramunas Jaras who, among things, had his own project ( and still does) called Echidna Aukstyn. Using a wide array of sound sources and instrumments, he manufactured a swirling stew that was very individual in nature anbd difficult to describe. Not trendy in any sense , this is truly the underground operating. And he is still going strong. Hear 1989 12 17

Lemon Avenue “ 92-93 The Story So Far”” ( Australia,Left As In Sinister 1993)
Fronted by vocalist and bassist, Valerios Calcerinos, this band got lumped in with the Aussie goth underground at the time but to me they were always something a bit bigger musically. Sure, they were minor and moody but they also had poppier and rockier dimensions that surfaced too. Hear As Mad As He Is

Orange Lady “Masuda” ( Japan, 1992)
Bringing the noise and feedback assault was a dominate approach in Okaniwa Fumihiro’s group, Orange Lady. There is very little comfortable or easy about this band of loud improvisers. This may test your spouse’s patience and maybe even your own. Deliciously wild. Hear an excerpt

Toupidek Limonade “Il Y A Des Nuits” ( France, 1984)
A French trio that has been compared to Etron Fou, this band is a lo fi version at best and their sound relies on piano and distracting sounds and less on fantastically dedicated arrangements. However, this only makes them better to me, and more interesting. Listen to Let’s Tribute Again

Brian Ruryk “Back On The Sex Planet” ( Canada, 1987)
Someone once said Ruryk’s music was like “seven guitars dropping seven thousand feet” ( to paraphrase) and that just about says it. Patches of silence would make his sonic outbursts even more dramatic. Some of his tapes were fairly short in duration always making me thirst for more. Outstanding stuff. Hear Lonesome Boardillo